Liquid-air candle



April 13 1826.

S. B. LADD LIQUID AIR CANDLE 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 31

abtozwm April 13 1926.

S. B. LADD LIQUID AIR CANDLE Filed Oct. 51 1924 3 Sheets-Shoot 2 Igwue'nto'o STo/J Laad April 13,1926. 1,580,613 s. B. LADD LIQUID AIRCANDLE Filed Oct. 31 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 5730/ b. Lam 0L i merited Amtl 1-926?- UNITED PATENTOFFICE.

STORY LADD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

LIQUID-m canons.

Application filed October 31, 1924. Serial No. 746,966.

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that 1, STORY B. LADD, citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, District ofColumbia, have invented certain newand useful Improvements 1n Liquid-Air-Candles, of which the following isa specification. I

The present'dnvention relates cooling devices and particularly to aliquid air or gas cooling device.

An object ofthe invention is to provide a liquid air or gas containerhaving means associated'therewith for conserving the supply of liquidair or gas therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a liquid air orgascontainer having an evaporating surface associated therewith.

A further" object of the invention is to provide a liquid air or gascontainer .having an evaporating surface in capillary communication withthe interior of said container and which is adapted to protrudetherefrom, with means for regulating the extent to which saidevaporating surface protrudes. Still further objects of the inventionare to provide a container and evaporating surface of the characterstated, with means for covering and exposing said evaporating surface,and means for exposing said surface and creating a current of air or gas-there-' across.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing detailed description thereof, taken inconnec: tion with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example, a preferredembodiment thereof, but which are not to be taken as a definition of thelimits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims forthat purpose.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a containerand evaporating surface embodyin g the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

F ig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through a cabinet containing apreferred form of container and evaporating surface associated withmeans for setting in motion the air or gas evaporating therefrom;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; vv

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the controlling device.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view'of a modified form of liquid air or gas candleembodying the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a container 9 is rovided with aninterior portion 10, adapted thereof to permit escape of evaporated airor gas. The openings 11 form a communicating medium between the interiorof thecontainer, and a chamber 12 formed by the concentric walls 13 and14. At the bottom of the wall 14 is an opening 15, forming acommunicating means between the chamber 12 and the space 16. The spaceor chamber 16 is in communication with the atmosphere 1 through a seriesof openings 17, preferablyprovided near the top thereof.

A vacuum or other insulating chamber 18 may surround the container.

t its top the container 9 is formed with a neck 19, which is internallyscrew-threaded for the reception of an externally screwthreaded closingmember 20, which is pro-' protrudes above the closure member 20 and; inthe drawings is illustrated as having the form of a wire 22extendingthrough'the closure member 20 and gripping the Wick 21 at itsupper and lower ends 23 and 24, which are shown as encircling said wick.A loop 25 may be formed intermediate the ends of the raising andlowering member 22 to-form a convenient handle therefor. The closuremember 20 maybe formed hollow and filled with insulating packingmaterial, as shown.

The container 9 may be formed with a lug 26, adapted to receive a hingepin 27, upon which the top 28 of the container is shown as beingmounted. The top is preferably formed with an interior opening 29 andexterior openings 30, and has the intermediate wall 31 therein toprovide a tortuous passage forthe escape of evaporated air or gas.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, a cabi- The memberto contain liquidair or gas. A i series of openings 11 are provided at the top net 41 isprovided with openings 42 and 43, through which a current of air isadapted .to be drawn intothe cabinet and expelled therefrom. Each ofthese openings is preferably provided with any desired form of screen44. The container 9 is placed within the cabinet 41 and is retained inposition therein by means of flanges 45 on the floor of the cablnet.

A fan 46 and fan motor 47, or other means for creating a current of airor gas, are mounted within the cabinet 41. The fan is controlled by aswitch 50, which preferably takes the form of a rheostat having aplurality of stationary contact members 51, and a pivoted arm 52 havingthe movable contact member 53. v

Slidably mounted in one of the cabinet walls is a controlling member 56,which is illustrated as having the form of a rod provided at its outerend with a knob 57 or other convenient form for manual operation. At itsinner end the rod 56 is bent at right angles, as shown at 58, andextends into and through a longitudinal slot 59, formed in the capcontrolling arm 60, which 1s fixedly mounted on an extension of thehinge pm 27, upon which the cap is fixed. The member 60 is thus adaptedto act as a, lever for opening and closing the container as the rod 56is moved outwardly or inwardly respectively. The rod 56 is provided witha collar 65, which is secured thereto by a set screw 66, the head ofwhich extends through a slot 67 in the movable contact arm 52.

In operating the device, assuming the fan switch to be opened and thecontainer top be closed, the controlling rod 56 is pulled outwardly,thus opening the top of the container and exposing the evaporatingsurface, and at the same time closing the fan circuit, thus creating acurrent of air or gas across the evaporating surface and setting inmotion the cold air or gas which evaporates therefrom.

Referring now to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6and 7, the container-'69 is preferably constructed with the same or asimilar internal arrangement as the container shown in Fig. 1, but ismade with a larger top 70, which may, if desired,

7 be formed flat and provided with a plurality of outlet or exhaustopenings 71 to permit escape of evaporated an or gas from the interiorof the container. The container in this embodiment of the invention ispreferably provided with lugs 72, with which a bail 73, having ahandle'member 74, is associated forconveniently transporting thecontainer. A neck 75 may be provided in the top of the container,through which a filling opening extends,said openingbeing closed by theclosure member 76.

A plurality of dome-shaped candle closures 77 may be provided similar tothe cap shown in Fig. 1, and hingedly mounted through lugs 78, providedin the top of the container.

lVithin the dome-shaped caps 77 are mounted wicks or equivalent memberssimilar, preferably tothe wick member 21, here' inabove referred to, andthe caps are provided with exhaust openings 79, as before. Thisembodiment of the invention is particularly adapted for refrigerationpurposes,

having a plurality of evaporating surfaces, whereby its efficiency isincreased.

It will be seen thata device is thus provided whose liquid air or gassupply may be replenished from time to time by removing the container 9and inserting a full container, and that the body of liquid air or gasis conserved as much as possible by the tortuous outlet of evaporatedair or gas, which helps to keep cool the liquid. air or gas. Theevaporation of liquid air or gas from the evaporating surface isdecreased when the top is closed and increased when the top is open andthe evaporating surface is exposed to the outside atmosphere.

What is claimed is 1; A liquid air container having an evaporatingsurface in capillary communication with its interior.

2. A liquid air candle comprising a container, an evaporating surfaceassociated therewith and in capillary communication with the interiorthereof, and means for regulating the extent to which said surfaceprotrudes therefrom.

3. A liquid air candle comprisinga container, an evaporating surface incapillary communication with the interior thereof, and means forcovering and exposing said evaporating surface.

- Intestimony whereof I afiix my signature.

sToRY B. LADD.

